Bachido Shamisen Courses: 'Tsugaru Jonkara Bushi (Shin)' is now available!

[@denisblack9897]

thanks for your wisdom! i've always instinctively emulated shamisen on an acoustic bass, your videos are a great inspiration

[@devocionesartisticas1024]

Wow. Sounds beautiful.

[@godSPARDA1995]

1:49 that sounds so beautiful!!

[@Чайка-й5и]

Я не знаю зачем я смотрю как играть, когда у меня нет даже этого инструмента, но мне очень интересно 😅

[@shirohemoth1946]

Beni from Wagakki band bring me here 😂

[@FridayCanBeSadSometimes]

Pelle!?!

[@fasteddievh2072]

Really cool! Literally looks like you are using an automobile ice scraper as a pick. Love it! 🙏👍🤘

[@maxolzenknerowski4650]

It's a Bachi!

[@penttikoivuniemi2146]

Do you have any tips for upstrokes? I've had an old shamisen for a few years now that I mess around with every now and then, but I can't seem to figure out how to do upstrokes or alternate picking.

[@TsugaruShamisen]

Excellent question, Pentti! It mostly comes down to your bachi handling - How you grip the bachi, the angle of the bachi relative to the skin, and where you generate your power from. Check out this free video my student made. While I tend to reside in the realm of analogies, he figured out the physiological elements involved in bachi technique, so it's really practical. bachido.com/school/body-mechanics

[@penttikoivuniemi2146]

@@TsugaruShamisen Thank you, I'll take a look!

[@Harutjun]

I play guitar but I want to learn this it's awesome, Is it more easy than electric guitar or not ?

[@TsugaruShamisen]

If you can play guitar, then shamisen will be very easy for you (when you get comfortable with it). Personally, I've always had difficulty with guitar, but shamisen came quite naturally to me.

[@Harutjun]

Kyle Abbott cool and I heard it's hard to find one is it true ? I live in the netherlands

[@TsugaruShamisen]

Kakashi X Leonhart It used to be difficult to find one, but not anymore! :) Check this out - bachido.com/products/beginner-shamisen

[@Harutjun]

Kyle Abbott Cool I will try to buy 1 when I get the money together :) thanks for the info

[@Egyptana]

C'est magnifique. ¨pourrait tu faire des sous titre en français s'il te plait ? Et j'aimerai savoir ou tu l'a acheter ? J'aimerai trouver une boutique en ligne qui fait de l'import depuis le japon pour avoir vraiment un vrai instrument qui vient de là-bah

[@Egyptana]

ouais je veut que ca vienne vraiment du japon genre pas un truc made in china qui fait semblant que ca vient du japon. Ni de truc fabriquer en france ca n'a aucun charme quand à son origine... si jamais je trouve je te dirai. De ton coté fait moi signe aussi si tu trouve.

[@lockewilliams9224]

Could I play this on a Sanshin?

[@TsugaruShamisen]

It's possible! :-)

[@ComposerMG]

Hi Kyle, your website has been down for a while and I cannot access the lessons I’ve bought, any clue when it’s back up? Thanks for all the shamisen info!

[@TsugaruShamisen]

Hi Mike! So sorry about that, I'm not sure why it goes offline from time to time (a brand new site is currently in the works, so that will be fixed!). It seems to be back online now, so you should be able to view the lessons now. :-) Thank you!

[@ComposerMG]

@@TsugaruShamisen Great thanks again Kyle.

[@akuma6366]

Hello,I am a French woman looking for a beginner shamisen but I don’t know where to fine one,I have searched on sites but often by the opinion of people it is quite mixed,do you know where I could buy one? Cordially

[@TsugaruShamisen]

Hi Yuki! Thank you for writing! I actually sell shamisen direct from makers in Japan. It's important for me to only offer the best quality shamisen, so I can vouch for it's quality - bachido.com/store/beginner-shamisen Please feel free to look and let me know if you have any questions! 🙂

[@ko1.1n0]

i can't seen to find the page of the sanshin at your shop, where do i enter it? to see the description and stuff... the ''Sanshin Set''

[@TsugaruShamisen]

So sorry for my late reply! (Was out of town) The Sanshin Set is on the bottom of this page. - bachido.com/store/standard-shamisen 🙂

[@ko1.1n0]

@@TsugaruShamisen thank you!

[@gridge6898]

Would this be able to be played on the beginners nagauta shamisen that you sell? I’m worried about the more aggressive playing breaking it.

[@TsugaruShamisen]

Oh yes, absolutely. :) Check out the end of my Beginner's Shamisen video, as I demonstrate some more aggressive tsugaru pieces on it. Fun fact, tsugaru style used to be played on nagauta shamisen, pretty much any shamisen available. (The official beefy "Tsugaru Shamisen" wasn't an actual thing until the 1970s, and the actual style is older than that)

[@rachelrobijn2847]

Where did you buy the shamisen?

[@TsugaruShamisen]

I made that particular Shamisen, but Made-in-Japan Shamisen can be ordered at www.bachido.com/store :)

[@Plazmaic]

As an american there arent many shamisen teachers, much less shops around. Where do you recommend I purchase one as a beginner?

[@TsugaruShamisen]

Indeed, the shamisen world is still quite a small one! I make a streamlined student shamisen (called the ShamiBuddy) which is built to be an affordable entry into the shamisen world, but I won't have more until most likely May. Otherwise, there is the Beginner's Shamisen (bachido.com/store/beginner-shamisen) which is a bit more expensive, but is made in Japan. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions! :-)

[@Plazmaic]

@@TsugaruShamisen Repairs where another concern of mine considering I've heard that it can get quite expensive even for those who live In japan

[@TsugaruShamisen]

@@Plazmaic I repair shamisen in California. :) - bachido.com/store/repair-shamisen It can be very pricey in Japan, especially skin replacement. I believe that's because there are so few shamisen sales in Japan, craftsmen need to charge more and more for repairs in order to stay in business.

[@podos3363]

hi! i just wanted to ask. Is it hard to learn how to play on the shamisen? I haven't played on any instrument before and there's no teacher in my area.

[@TsugaruShamisen]

Great question! It's actually quite easy to learn. I've given workshops for folks who had no prior musical experience, and they were able to play Japanese folk songs within two hours. :-) Of course, like with learning anything new, it's very important to keep expectations low and not compare yourself to professional shamisen players, but rather just enjoy the learning experience and sound of the instrument. Feel free to check out my free online crash course and join the community as well. There's many folks like you there. :) - bachido.com/school/crash-course-1/chapter-1

[@podos3363]

Thx a lot :)

[@markmanbeck5210]

what are those fur rings around your fingers?

[@TsugaruShamisen]

That is a woven band to held the hand slide on across the neck. :)

[@hiphopnigkiller01]

this may seem like a dumb question, but can you use a guitar pick, or just your fingers to pick? and what do you call that " Shamisen Pick"? sounded interested

[@TsugaruShamisen]

That's an excellent question, Zach! Yes, a guitar pick works fine. I really like playing with my finger(nail) like clawhammer banjo. Also, I would recommend trying a clean popsicle stick. Seriously! It works like an Amami style bachi. I was surprised by how nice it is to use, and you can even get a clean percussive sound as well. Great question!

[@notactuallysean]

+Kyle Abbott can you make a video using different picking items and comparing them with each other?

[@ezequielfloresbarrios9423]

Where did you buy your shamisen ?

[@TsugaruShamisen]

Ezequiel Flores barrios That particular shamisen is one I built myself, but you can get great shamisen at bachido.com/store. :)

[@ezequielfloresbarrios9423]

Kyle Abbott that shamisen was very spectacular, thanks